The tattooing process starts with the selection of artwork by the customer. Customers may choose from art on display that has already been drawn (commonly referred to as “flash” art) or may have the artist create a new work. The tattoo artist produces an outline of the artwork, which is then transferred to the skin using image transfer paper and then used as a reference for the transdermal ink application.
Two types of image transfer paper are generally used. Hectograph paper can be used with a pressure method to transfer an outline from a sheet of plain paper onto the transfer paper. Suitable pressure transfer methods include hand tracing or the use of a dot matrix printer. Thermal paper can be used for hand tracing or with a thermal copier to transfer an outline from a sheet of regular paper onto the transfer paper.
Both types of transfer paper, hectograph and thermal, are typically supplied in a 3-layer format consisting of a flexible top white transfer sheet, an intermediate protective sheet and a third sheet carrying a dye to be transferred to the bottom surface of the transfer sheet and ultimately onto skin. Thermal paper may also have a fourth, bottom sheet that holds the original artwork sheet in place when using a thermal copier. The dye on these multi-layer transfer papers is usually purple in color and is water-insoluble but easily removed with alcohol. For hand tracing, an artist obtains or produces a design outline on plain paper. After removing the intermediate protective sheet from the transfer paper, the artist places the plain paper on top of the white transfer sheet and traces the design outline using a pen or pen-like device with downward pressure on the layered sheets. A dot matrix printer can alternatively be used to imprint the design onto the transfer sheet. The pressure from either the pen or printer causes the dye from the bottom sheet to attach to the bottom side of the transfer sheet.
A thermal copier or printer produces images by heating thermal paper, as seen on older fax machines, cash registers, ATM receipt printers, and lottery ticket printers, for example. Using a thermal copier, a design on plain paper is copied with dye onto the transfer sheet of a layered thermal transfer paper. Using either transfer method, once the design has been attached to the transfer sheet, the design is cut from the transfer sheet, resulting in a “stencil” that is then applied to the customer's skin. First, the customer's skin is cleaned and shaved. The skin is moistened with a transfer lotion to facilitate dye adhesion on the skin. A glycerin-based solution containing sodium stearate (such as Speed-Stick™ deodorant, for example) is especially suitable. Then the stencil is pressed onto the skin, with the dye contacting the moistened skin. The transfer sheet is carefully removed, leaving the dye design on the skin.
Both methods of stencil creation require the production of a single stencil at a time on expensive specialty transfer papers. The hand tracing method is laborious, slow, and possibly inaccurate, depending on the skill of the artist. Sharpness of the outline is limited using a dot matrix printer method. The thermal copier method requires the use of expensive specialty equipment. The most commonly used papers only provide for a reference design consisting of a single color.
Moreover, because the resulting reference design lies on the skin surface, the dyes therein are pushed into the skin during the tattooing process. However, the papers and equipment traditionally used are not specially formulated for use on human skin and are typically not sterilized, thereby possibly leading to infection or other health concerns.